Pill container and dispenser

ABSTRACT

A pill container and dispenser has a plurality of independently rotatable discs each having an opening therethrough so that when the openings are aligned a pill may fall therethrough into a compartment having a side opening therein from which the pill is dispensed.

United States Patent [191 Thompson Jan. 14, 1975 PILL CONTAINER AND DISPENSER [76] Inventor: Larry G. Thompson, 524 5th St.,

Traverse City, Mich. 49684 [22] Filed: June 11, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 368,635

[52] US. Cl 206/534, 215/9, 221/265,

206/807, 206/540, 70/63 1 [51] Int. Cl 865d 83/04 [58] Field of Search 206/1.5, 42; 215/7, 9, 215/208; 221/266, 265; 222/23 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 564,103 1/1896 Richardson 206/42 2,886,208 5/1959 Sinclair 206/42 UX 3,638,830 2/1972 Belokin 206/42 3,759,420 9/1973 Karkanen 206/42 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,486,692 6/1969 Germany 206/42 1,340,133 12/1962 France 206/42 Primary ExaminerWilliam I. Price Assistant ExaminerR. E. Hart Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edmond T. Patnaude [57] ABSTRACT A pill container and dispenser has a plurality of independently rotatable discs each having an opening therethrough so that when the openings are aligned a pill may fall therethrough into a compartment having a side opening therein from which the pill is dispensed.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PILL CONTAINER AND DISPENSER The present invention generally relates to a pill container and dispenser, and it relates more particularly to such a device including a combination arrangement which makes it difficult for small children to remove pills from the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various types of closures have been developed over the years to deter small children from gaining access to potentially harmful medicinal pills. Some such devices employ closures requiring certain manipulations to be removed. However, even adults have difficulty opening many of these particularly safe devices, while with others children can in fact force the closure from the associated container.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved pill container and dispenser.

Another object of this invention is to provide a substantially child-proof pill container and dispenser.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved pill container including a combination mechanism for individually dispensing pills.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the above and further objects may be realized in accordance with the teachings of the present invention by a multi-part closure which is fixedly and rotatably attached to a pill bottle or container. The closure parts are relatively rotatable and each includes an opening therethrough. The top part is opaque and includes a cavity into which a pill may fall by gravity when the container is inverted with the openings in alignment. A side opening is provided in the top part for dispensing the pill from the cavity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Further objects and advantages and a better understanding of the invention may be had from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pill container and dispenser embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of the device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 assuming the entire device to be shown therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawing, a pill container and dispenser includes a generally cylindrical container portion 11 having an imperforate bottom wall 12 and a circular top wall 13. A circular feed opening is provided in the top wall 13 in spaced apart relationship with the center thereof. A first flat circular disc 15 is positioned over the top wall 13 and has a circular feed opening 16. A second flat circular disc 17 is positioned over the disc 15 and also has a circular feed opening 18. A generally cylindrical, opaque cap member 20 has a flat, circular bottom wall having a circular feed opening 21 therein, an annular side wall 22, and an imperforate circular top wall 23 defining a chamber 24. The

discs 15 and 17 and the cap member 20 are fixedly and rotatably secured together by means of a rivet 25 extending through aligned central holes in the top wall 13, the discs 15 and 17 and the wall 21. The openings l4, l6, l8, and 21 are of the same size and are slightly larger than the pills to be held in the container. They are equally spaced from the rivet 25 so that when these openings are aligned by rotation of the discs 15 and 17 and the cap 20, inverting the container results in a pill falling by gravity into the chamber 24. An opening 26, also larger than the size of the pills is provided in the side wall 23 of the cap to permit dispensing of the pill which has fallen into the chamber 24.

In order to facilitate the mutual alignment of the openings 14, 16, 18, and 21, a plurality of radially extending tabs 15a, 17a, and 20a, respectively extend from the discs 15 and 17 and the cap 20 and are marked, for example, with the letters A, B, and C as shown in FIG. 1. A set of graduations 28 in the form of numbers is printed or embossed on the annular side wall of the container 11 near the top thereof.

When a pill is to be dispensed from the device 10, the tabs 15a, 17a, and 20a are respectively positioned above the numbers in the set 28 in accordance with a predetermined combination thereby to align the openings 16, 18, and 21 with the fixedly located opening 14. Since the cap member is opaque, the cap 20 and the discs 15 and 17 cannot be properly set by simply observing the locations of the feed openings as is possible with some prior art closures. Preferably the discs 15 and 17 and the container 11 are also opaque although this is not absolutely necessary. With the tabs thus set in accordance with the proper combination, the device 10 is then inverted and depending on the shape of the pills may be slightly shaken to cause a pill to drop into the chamber 24. The device is then tipped toward the opening 26 to dispense the pill from the device. Should more than one pill fall into the chamber 24 it may be readily shaken back into the container through the aligned feed openings before the cap and discs are randomly rotated to set the closure in a locked condition.

While the present invention has been described in connection with a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that those skilled in the art may make many changes and modifications without departing from the true spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A pill container and dispenser comprising a container having imperforate bottom and side walls and a top wall having a feed opening therethrough,

a disc disposed over said top wall and having a feed opening therethrough,

a cap member having a bottom wall with a feed opening therethrough and an imperforate, opaque top wall spaced from said bottom wall by a side wall thereby to define within said cap member a pill receiving chamber,

means connecting said cap member and said disc to said container for mutually independent rotation about a common axis,

said feed openings being equally spaced from said axis,

a pill dispensing opening in said side wall of said cap member, and

3 4 visible means on said cap member, said disc and said 4. A pill container and diepenser according to claim container for use in setting said feed openings in 2 further comprising mutually aligned relationship. a plurality of index marks on said container in prox- 2. A pill container and dispenser according to claim imity to said disc, and 1 further comprising a radially extending tab on said 5 different visible characters respectively provided on disc. said tabs.

3. A pill container and dispenser according to claim 5. A pill container and dispenser according to claim 1 further comprising a second disc having a feed open- 4 whrein said discs, said cap and said top wall of said ing therein, said second disc being rotatably mounted container are rotatably interconnected by means of a between said first mentioned disc and said cap memrivet.

ber. 

1. A pill container and dispenser comprising a container having imperforate bottom and side walls and a top wall having a feed opening therethrough, a disc disposed over said top wall and having a feed opening therethrough, a cap member having a bottom wall with a feed opening therethrough and an imperforate, opaque top wall spaced from said bottom wall by a side wall thereby to define within said cap member a pill receiving chamber, means connecting said cap member and said disc to said container for mutually independent rotation about a common axis, said feed openings being equally spaced from said axis, a pill dispensing opening in said side wall of said cap member, and visible means on said cap member, said disc and said container for use in setting said feed openings in mutually aligned relationship.
 2. A pill container and dispenser according to claim 1 further comprising a radially extending tab on said disc.
 3. A pill container and dispenser according to claim 1 further comprising a second disc having a feed opening therein, said second disc being rotatably mounted between said first mentioned disc and said cap member.
 4. A pill container and diepenser according to claim 2 further comprising a plurality of index marks on said container in proximity to said disc, and different visible characters respectively provided on said tabs.
 5. A pill container and dispenser according to claim 4 whrein said discs, said cap and said top wall of said container are rotatably interconnected by Means of a rivet. 